According to Plan
by TechnicolorGray
Summary: CHAPTER EIGHT UP!: Light Yagami has woken up to find that he looks exactly like his rival L, but he soon realizes that he isn't the only one to have changed...
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: **I've had this idea in my head for almost a year now, but I've never taken the time to write it. Regardless if anyone likes it (which I hope they do), I had to get the idea out. If everything goes as planned, this will be a multi-chapter story. It's my first attempt at anything other than humor. By the way, everything in italics is inner thought, rather than anything said out loud. :)

**Prologue:**

Light Yagami was not generally the sort of person to react to negative situations with panic. However, this situation was not just a negative situation. It was an awful, terrible, and extremely bizarre situation.

Waking up with no idea where he was happened to be just the tip of the iceberg. Raito would have taken it in strides had this been the only issue. His first thoughts would have gone to the exceedingly nefarious "Ryuuzaki" and his exhaustingly diligent suspicion of Light's identity as Kira. He probably would have thought that L had found some new way to expose him: through trickery which placed him in a foreign hotel somewhere in Japan. However, one look out the window had told Raito that this hotel was fairly close to where he lived. No. What truly startled Raito had been looking in the mirror.

It had been accident at first. He had rushed in a blind act of defiance, across the room, to try the door handle. The mirror, however, stopped him on the way.

It had to be an illusion. The reality of this situation was simply not an option for a logical mind such as Raito's. For staring back at Raito through sleep-deprived eyes was the image of Ryuuzaki.

Raito pushed his palm against the mirror's glassy surface, giving it a stare of utmost concentration. _Not a mirror? _Thought Light blindly. _An illusion?_ He pushed harder against the mirror, shaking his head. _"The image replicates my exact movements...impossible through use of a normal illusion."_

Light slumped down on the bed, the gears of his highly-charged mind working at full speed._ "I wake up in a hotel, looking like Ryuuzaki. L knows that my strongest offense lies in my mental capacity."_ Raito stood up again. _"Could this be an attempt to damage my sanity and cause me to reveal myself as Kira? And if this is L's hotel room, where is L?"_

Light visually grazed the room, casually scanning every corner for the possible hint of a camera. He slumped over, stuck his hands in his pockets, and shuffled methodically towards the door.

_"Adopt Ryuuzaki's mannerisms. Don't allow anyone to know who you are. Show no hint of panic."_ Light created a mental checklist for himself to eliminate suspicion.

There appeared to be no people outside of Light's room. He continued to shuffle, Ryuuzaki-style, down the sparsely carpeted hallway.

_"Where should I go first?"_ Kira knew that his next mood had to be made carefully. The strangeness of the situation presented a necessity for it. _"Will it arouse suspicion if I go to my house? Would Ryuuzaki do that? What if he's there?_ Light glared through L's eyes._ "What if he looks like me?"_

This thought made the now-black-haired teen want to halt in the middle of his shuffling, but he refrained from doing so.

_"He won't know where to find the Death Note - he's already searched for that and turned up nothing."_

Light's bare feet padded across the floor of the hotel's main lobby._ "But if he looks like me, he'll be able to get anything out of Misa."_ This thought did make him stop in his tracks. _"Not good."_

Regardless of the probability of Ryuuzaki showing up at Misa Amane's house, Light Yagami had chosen his course of action and would stick to it.

**A/N: **Things will pick up when everything starts to be explained. Believe me. Anyway, I know that I have some timeline innaccuracies because I haven't read Death Note since last year, but please bare with me. Anyway, hope you're enjoying what little I have so far. This is only the prologue. :)


	2. Chapter 1: Wicker Basket

**Author's Note: **Thanks to those who alerted/faved my story! Here's the _actual first chapter_! Oh my. And, oh yeah...

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Death Note. I hope that doesn't come as a surprise. xD

**Chapter 1:**

The cute, blonde-haired girl cocked her head to one side. "Ryuuzaki!" She shook her head, seeming to contemplate the impossibility of "Ryuuzaki's" presence at her house. "But what are you doing here? Is something wrong with Light?"

Light (Who now looked like L-God knows why), sighed with well-guarded relief. If Misa was clueless as to why Ryuuzaki would be showing up at her house, than it was obvious that the real L hadn't told her anything.

_But he's a crafty one_. Light's suspicions, while lifted slightly, were nowhere near to being completely gone. _If he looks like me, he could get Misa to do or say anything to throw me off the track. I have no idea how long I was asleep. It's possible that L has already been to Misa's and left._

Light put one hand firmly on the doorframe of the blonde model's apartment and brought his black-rimmed eyes close to her face. He had expected her to cringe back in fear or apprehension, but she did no such thing. In fact, if possible, her cheery smile seemed to grow even wider. It was now almost unnaturally wide, like the face of an old doll or a Ventriloquist dummy. 

Light's (L's) eyes narrowed, but he pulled back; adopting L's look of vacant disconnection. Something was wrong, but it was impossible to pinpoint exactly _what _was wrong. Misa had not initially been acting strangely, but the fact was that L knew of Light's relationship to her. That having been said, there _was _something a little bit 'off' about Misa, and...and...

Light bit his tongue. _That was it! _The boy's lips pulled up into a knowing sneer that Ryuuzaki's normally-bland face was quite unused to making. "Has Light stopped by to see you today, Amane-san?"

Misa shook her head again, this time taking a step backwards into her house. "Haven't seen him at all today, Ryuuzaki!" The girl laughed. Her face had adopted an expression of combined interest and amusement. Light took note of the fact that it was rather out-of-place for the situation.

"Don't you miss him, Amane-san? He must be missing you very much, as well. I'd like to talk with him, if possible." Light paused, thinking of how best to manipulate the situation in his favor. "Unfortunately, Light-kun hasn't been at home lately. He hasn't shown up at campus, either. His cell phone is...unresponsive." _This was getting nowhere fast. There had to be a way...Light was positive that Misa was acting. Unless even the Shinigami eyes were deceived by his altered appearance, the name of Light Yagami would be appearing above Ryuuzaki's head. But mentioning this would risk giving away too much information to someone who may not be entirely trustworthy at the moment... _

Misa shrugged, her blonde pigtails swinging back and forth like feathery wind chimes. "Light hasn't contacted me, either." Her head drooped slightly, but the hint of a gleam was just detectable in her eye. "I am really concerned about him, really I am-" In what appeared to be a fit of emotion, Misa raised her head to look into Light's eyes. "Oh, Ryuuzaki-kun! Please find him! I've been worried sick about my Light-kun, and if something should happen to him, I-" The girl appeared to dissolve under the strain of such tortured feelings, but Light made no move to comfort her. 

There had been two things that had caused the intelligent murderer to become even more aware of the bizarre aspects of Misa's current behavior. When had she had begged "L" to help her find Light (_and it had been a good act, Light had to admit_) she had at first appeared as if she were going to grasp onto his arm in desperation. But she hadn't. She had wavered for perhaps half a second before apparently deciding that she wanted no kind of contact with Light. This was quite unlike Misa. Even with Ryuuzaki, she was a touchy-feely kind of person. The second thing was even more suspicious. For just a moment, her eyes had become red. Not the red of human-obtained Shinigami eyes, but a reddish-yellow. A color that Light had never seen in Misa's eyes before.

Light looked down at Misa. The kind of looking down that he gave his victims right before they died of a heart attack. "May I come in, Amane-san? We should discuss how best to locate Light."

Misa bounced into a standing position. Her unnaturally wide smile had returned, and, if possible, was now even wider. "Of course, Ryuuzaki-kun! I'd do anything if you'd just help me to get my Light back!" The girl continued to smile, expectantly, and slithered deeper into the house, gesturing for Light to follow.

Light pressed the door shut behind him, shadowing the room in darkness. No lights had been turned on. The blinds were all closed. Not particularly unusual, but Misa was still smiling. Light could see that she wanted to laugh. She was treating her unusual behavior as some kind of joke, and while she was obviously trying to keep up a facade of normalcy...Light could see that there was something in her that wanted him to discover why she was behaving so strangely.

From the point when she had almost grasped onto his arm, Light had had some idea as to what was going on. This idea was a stretch, but it was an idea whose truth could be tested with little risk.

Light licked his lips. "I'm hungry." He shuffled into the kitchen, not bothering to ask whether or not he should be inviting himself to the contents of someone else's fridge. Misa didn't seem to mind.

The kitchen was dark. On the table sat a mournful-looking wicker basket. Light smiled, very slightly. He gestured carelessly towards he basket. "Bananas, pears, oranges... I think I am in the mood for one, Amane-san. May I-?"

The suspicion in Misa's eyes was becoming more-increasingly pronounced, but she continued to smile. "Of course, Ryuuzaki-kun! I don't really like them, anyway..."

Light made as if he were about to take a piece of fruit, but his hand halted in midair. His head turned to look at Misa, a blank Ryuuzaki-stare on his face. "May I ask, though, Amane-san - Where are all the apples? I was sure you would have some - they're quite good this time of year..."

Misa fidgeted, her eyes drifting off to the left. "Ryuuzaki-kun, I don't think I have any..."

Light smiled. It wasn't a cruel smile, but it was quite knowing. "Didn't you tell me something about this basket of fruit being just for decoration?" He paused, reveling in his ability to corner people with logic. "Last time I was here, weren't there apples in it? Bananas, pears, oranges..._and _apples?" Light stepped closer to Misa. He doubted that L had ever observed the details of Misa's fruit baskets, but it didn't matter any more. He had won. "It just seems unusual to me that there would be any fruit missing from a basket that was just for decoration...and you offered some to me...?"

Misa said nothing.

Light backed off, waving a hand carelessly into the air. His other hand went to his pocket to withdraw a round, red, shiny...

"Apple." Misa gave the crimson fruit a gaze of utmost admiration. She reached out her hand.

"Thought you must be hungry." Light turned around. "That's why I picked it up on the way over here. In case I ran into you." He paused. "Yes, I'm that considerate of a person...Ryuk." Light tossed the apple into the air.

The huge, unnatural grin on Misa's face returned as she caught the flying fruit. "She" laughed-more of a wheeze than a sound of mirth. "Ya caught me, Light. You're a _bright_ one!"

**A/N: **Yes, this is getting weird. I know. All will be explained in good time, though. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the actual first chapter. R/R, perhaps:)


	3. Chapter 2:  Rule 79

**Author's Note: **Thanks to Everyone who read and reviewed and such! I lurve you guys! Anyway, here's the "wonderous" chapter two, in which the author makes up things in order to make up for plot holes! Woo!

**Chapter Two: Rule #79**

Light slumped down onto Misa's bed, propping his forehead on his hands. He slowly massaged his temples, trying to rid himself of the situation's stress. After a moment, he willed himself to look at the girl standing in front of him. Except, it wasn't really a girl, now was it?

"Ryuk..." Light continued massaging his temples, stopping only to push L's untidy black hair out of his eyes. "I'm ready to hear an explanation. You know what's going on, don't you?" It really was strange, looking at Misa but talking to Ryuk.

The Death God cackled in Misa's voice, making it sound as though she were some kind of deranged asylum patient. S/he wiggled a finger knowingly in Light's direction. "I'll tell you now that you've guessed who I am, Light. That was the fun part, after all." Ryuk hop-skipped across the room, twisted acrobatically, and landed sideways on the bed next to Light. "You humans are so funny - waking up looking a little different sends you into such a panic!" Ryuk wheeze-laughed in Misa's voice again.

Light's eyes narrowed. He was certainly not in the mood for this, but he didn't say anything. When Ryuk got like this, it was best to just wait it out.

"Misa's" face fell. "You're being no fun, Light!" The Shinigami shrugged, as if this last statement had become inconsequential. "Eyuh. You're in Ryuuzaki's body." Ryuk pointed at Light, his amusement reflected in Misa's eyes. "You broke one of the Death Note's unwritten rules. Rules 79 through 82 are all like that." The Death God gestured casually with one hand. "Not a serious offense; or punishment, for that matter - but quite the source of entertainment for the Shinigami King."

Light glared coldly down at Ryuk; who was, in turn, grinning happily up at him. The teen's voice adopted a harsh tone. "This is what I get for disobeying an unwritten rule? A flawed system. Whatever rule I broke, it certainly wasn't a real rule." Light relaxed slightly, managing to become more composed. "And you, Ryuk. What did you do?"  
The Shinigami jumped off the bed and began to walk distractedly around Misa's room. He began to laugh again. "I gave the Death Note to the rule-breaker." Ryuk turned to face Light matter-of-factly. "My Note - my fault."

Light sighed. His exasperation was quickly reaching a boiling point. "Is it too much to ask exactly which rule I broke?"

Ryuk answered immediately, which came as somewhat of a surprise to Light. "Rule Number 79 - You would have had to have cursed the Shinigami King, or...if you wrote his name or title in your Death Note." Ryuk paused. Whenever he said Light's name, he had adopted the habit of stretching out the word. It was beginning to get on Light's nerves. "Did you do that, Light?"

Light tied to recall the events of the previous day. It seemed so far away, now...what with everything that had happened. And yet, he did recall...he had been writing names in the Death Note. Ryuk had been talking about something to do with the Shinigami King. Light, distracted, had accidentally written the words "Shinigami King" in the notebook, and then crossed them out with a hint of annoyance.

Light sat in silence for a moment, and then said, "And what are the exact consequences of breaking the rule?"

Ryuk's reciting were reminiscent of an overly-informative audio tape. "The consequences of breaking Rule Number 79: All those involved with the Death Note of the rule-breaker will experience a 'switch of the flesh' with the most inconvenient acquaintance." Ryuk began digging through Misa's things as he talked to Light. "You and Ryuuzaki; me and Miss Amane."

Light's eyes widened, and he stood up abruptly. _If I woke up in L's room, then L and Misa..._ "Ryuk..." Light's voice remained calm. "Where is Rem?"

Ryuk laughed, his eyes gleaming in entertainment. "Ryuuzaki has never come in contact with Miss Amane's Death Note." The Shinigami pointed at Light's face. "Those eyes cannot see Death Gods." Ryuk dug through some things, and then pulled out Misa's Notebook. He held it out to Light. "She's right here, listening to our conversation. If you want to talk to her, go ahead."

Light made no move to touch the Death Note. "Is there any way that we can return to normal?"

Ryuk continued to hold out Misa's Notebook, but he responded to Light's question. "A long, complicated, difficult, way - but yes, there is a way."

Light held up a hand. "Are you trying to trick me, Ryuk?" The Kira murderer looked steadily at the Shinigami. "If L returns to a body with the ability to see Rem, don't you think that things will go steadily downhill for Kira?" Light got up. "If I were to touch the Death Note, I would have to find a way to make Ryuuzaki gain ownership of the Note - and the give it up willingly."

Ryuk withdrew the Note, scratching his head. "You're smart, Light. But Ryuuzaki's in your body - he has _your_ eyes."

Light's face went blank. He hadn't thought of _that_. The teen shook Ryuuzaki's head, muttering to himself. "That means...he'll be able to see..." This wasn't good. Kira moved quickly for the door, but stopped right before getting there. "Ryuk, stay here when I'm gone. I'm assuming that you don't have to haunt me now that neither of us are in our own forms."

Ryuk said nothing, and Light continued. "According to what you said, L is now in my body. If L looks like me, and Misa looks like..." Light trailed off momentarily. He had to feel just a little bit sorry for Misa, if what Ryuk was saying was true. "If L hasn't seen any..._Shinigami_...yet - which is unlikely, based on the circumstances...We want to spread as little suspicion as possible." Light became silent for a moment. "If Kira is to become God of the new world, and if your amusement is to continue," Light opened the door, talking as he left. "-It is imperative that you play the role of Misa Amane quite perfectly for the time being. The existance of Shinigami is a fact best left undiscovered by my rival. Oh, and tell Rem to hide if someone that looks like me tries to come to the house. If she is seen, Misa may also be discovered as Kira's collaborator."

Ryuk gave Light a thumbs-up. "Ah, Light! But you know, I wouldn't do it if it weren't fun!"

Light's eyes narrowed.

Ryuk laughed again, then shook Misa's head. "Oops! I mean -" The Death God adopted a sugary, high-pitched voice. "-Anything for _you _Light-kun!"

**A/N:** I think there were originally 78 rules in the Death Note. I think I'm right. Sigh. Anyway, hope you enjoyed Chapter 2. I felt as though it was kind of short. Oh well. R&Rs provide motivation... :D


	4. Chapter 3: Face to Face

**Author's Note:** Thanks for reviewing, everyone! Also, the author apologizes for the wait! I had to read pages 39 through 211 of Frankenstein in one night for AP English 12, because I am a big fat procrastinator! Huzzah!  
Also, I apologize for the brevity of chapter 3. Whenever I think I've written a lot or gotten the idea across for a chapter, it always turns out to be obscenely shorter than I thought.  
I hope to one day write chapters of decent length. :)

**Chapter 3: Face-to-Face**

Light had to wonder just how much sense it made to do what he was about to do. Was it really smart to visit his own house when he had some suspicion as to what was waiting for him there? Still, if L hadn't yet caught sight of any signs of Light's identity as Kira, everything would be worth the effort.

How would his mother react to Ryuuzaki showing up at the Yagami's doorstep? And what would he do if L had caught sight of Misa? Misa, supposedly as Ryuk...acting like herself, with an L that looked like him? Light leaned against the doorway, feeling sweat break out all over him. He shook his head in order to clear his thoughts. The situation was difficult, but manageable.

Light would have taken the current opportunity to knock on the door of hi house, had the door not opened before his hand met its surface.

"Hello, Ryuuzaki-kun. I had the feeling you would turn up sooner or later." Light's face, voice, clothing...

A sly smile played across Light's mouth. "It is good to see you today, Light." Kira looked vacantly into the depths of his own house, perhaps making fun of L's rather strange mannerisms. "I have some rather important business to discuss with you. Will you allow me to come in?"

Light's clone gazed blankly at him for a few moments, and then moved aside from the doorway very slowly. "Yes. I consent that we may have a few things to talk about - Ryuuzaki-kun."

Light did not falter because of L's charade. While the detective was good at acting, he lacked in giving up his physical mannerisms. His shuffling movements and habit of staring remained despite appearance changes.

Light shut the door behind him. As soon as the light filtering in from the outdoors was cut off, Light himself stood up straight and looked L eye-to-eye. "I'm in no mood to play games today, Ryuuzaki."

L raised his thumb to his mouth, staring intently at his doppelganger. "No? Unusual for one so competitive, Light-kun."

Usually, this would have irritated Light. In this case, however, it was a great source of relief. L was choosing to reveal his true identity rather than continuing to play as Light. "Maybe. Are you willing to cooperate?" Light looked at L intently. "The way I see it, there has to be something we can do to try and return to our own bodies."

L said nothing or a moment, and then spoke. "There are some uses in being Light Yagami - I've found I'm able to see things I've never thought of before."

Light didn't falter. This was quite possibly a bluff on the part of L. "In that case, the investigation team will be taking their orders directly from me, now."

Ryuuzaki gazed in vacant intensity at Light, which was actually a rather bizarre sight. "I was simply suggesting that there may have been some perceived benefits to an otherwise negative situation." L took a few steps toward the staircase, his eyes averted from Light. "But I agree with Light that the inconveniences are both obvious and numerous. I propose we walk in each other's shoes until the situation can be reversed." L directed his attention back at Light. "That is, if we are able to locate the cause of our problems. Judging by the unlikelihood of the situation to begin with, the chances that we will find a cure are at a very low percentile."

Light crossed his arms, standing up straight in L's body. "We'll retrace our steps from the day before - what we did before we went to bed last night - It's even possible that whatever this is will wear off." Light, of course, was planning on solving this situation alone by consulting Ryuk. But when would he be alone with the Shinigami, considering that Misa would be wholly more inclined to consult with Light; and considering that he had told Ryuk to play Misa's role?

He thought about doing it during the night - sacrificing sleep in order to more-quickly correct the unfortunate situation.

L's talking interrupted his thoughts. "The best thing to do at the moment, as agreed. But, Light-kun - a very difficult task to play each other's roles when our knowledge of each other is so limited."

L stressed the word "very." Light narrowed his eyes. "We'll just have to tell each other enough to get by."

For a few moments, L said nothing. And then, "I'd like to consult with Amane-san, if possible."

Light's confusion became readily obvious. "With Misa's inability to keep a secret? I'd suggest against it."

"I think that Light-kun is misinterpreting me." L went to the fridge, fished around, and pulled out a strawberry with two fingers. "My intention in consulting Miss Amane is not to inform her of our current situation, but to further my investigation."

Light became angry. So this was his plan? "I don't think this is really the time for trying to accuse me falsely, Ryuuzaki!"

"Still, I'd like to talk to her. You may come too, if you'd like. I'm going to inform Miss Amane that we're dropping by." L shuffled over to the phone, where he began to dial.

Light looked strangely at L. He was beginning to suspect that this wasn't simply about furthering his investigation. Light couldn't help but wonder if Ryuuzaki already had a suspicion that Misa was not herself.  
_No, that's impossible_...And yet...

L was on the phone. From across the room, Light easily heard the ear-splitting "LIGHT-KUN!" Misa's voice.

Light said nothing, but inwardly thanked Ryuk for playing the role so well.

"Ryuuzaki and I are going to be coming to your house in a few minutes, Misa. We have some things to talk about in regards to the Kira investigation."

Light strained his ears, but could no longer hear Ryuk.

L continued to talk. "Yes, Ryuuzaki's here." L held out the phone to Light. He looked suspicious. "She wants to talk to you, Light-kun."

Light held the phone up to his ear. What was Ryuk playing at? Why would Misa care to talk to Ryuuzaki? Kira's voice remained calm. "Hello, Amane-san."

"Ryuuzaki-kun! Hello!" Ryuk squealed. "Misa-Misa just wanted to know how you were?"

"Fine," Light was beginning to get irritated. "I'm very flattered that you care so much about my well-being."

Ryuk's voice dropped. "Sorry if this causes suspicion, Light." Light chanced a look at L. It didn't appear as if he could hear what was going on. "Misa's here."

Light's eyes widened. "We'll be over in a few minutes, Amane-san. If your house is as messy as you say it is, please clear a space so that Light-kun and I can be comfortable."

"Got it, Light - Tell Amane and Rem to leave - they'll be glad to hear that."

With that, the phone cut off.

**A/N: **Oh, gosh. Where am I going with this? Anyway, R&R perhaps? ;D


	5. Chapter 4: Standoff

A/N: Alright. So I noticed that there was a huge gap between my updates. Sorry about that, for all who care. I suppose that's what I get for not writing the entire story before I started submitting.

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**Chapter 4: Standoff**

Light Yagami stared at Ryuk, trying to will the Shinigami with his eyes to make sure that nothing was given away.

Light had to hand it to Ryuk. Despite his hatred of contact with human beings, he had bounced and clung onto L as soon as he had answered the door. Perhaps he would go farther than Light thought for the simple preservation of his own entertainment. Ryuk had then led the two into Misa's room, where he sat on the bed and grinned widely at L and Light; demanding to know exactly what it was that they wanted.

Light looked at L with a determined glare, wondering how he was going to get out of this one. He wasn't sure exactly what L was going to ask Ryuk, but it wasn't going to be good whatever it was. He had said that he was going to ask some questions regarding the Kira case under the guise of Light. If that were so, and if L told Ryuk that he didn't mind Light hearing, then the real Misa would probably spill her guts. If Ryuk wanted to be completely accurate, he would have to answer everything truthfully; especially if L feigned being involved with Kira with the hopes that Misa would reveal something.

Soon, his worst fears were revealed. L stepped forward, sounding exactly like Light. He directed his attention to Ryuk, looking closely as if searching for signs that the "girl" wasn't what "she" seemed. "Misa, I think it's about time that we gave up this charade. I brought Ryuuzaki here today so that we could both make a formal confession to him. We can't run forever, you know." L was looking intensely for a reaction in Misa, who was initially surprised.

Ryuk glanced at Light, looking exceedingly confused. He laughed slightly, unable to contain himself. The Death God turned his attention back to L, tilting his head. "Misa-Misa isn't sure what you're talking about, Light-kun! Ryuuzaki-kun already knows that we're in love!" Ryuk bounced up and down on Misa's bed as he said this.

Much as Light would have loved to kill Ryuk at this moment, he had now regained partial confidence and realized a fatal slip that L had made. Misa may not have been the smartest person in the world, but she knew Light well enough to know that he would never give up and confess to L. Ryuk was aware that Misa knew this much, and had played his part well. Even Misa would have been aware that something was up if Light tried to make such a confession. Maybe she would have even suspected that he wasn't himself, despite her devotion for him.

Light turned his gaze on L, slumping over and adopting the detective's tone as if trying to convince Misa that he was really who he looked like. "I am sorry to question you Light-kun, but it is required by the investigation team that evidence must be provided for conviction. Amane-san also appears to be denying knowledge of her or your involvement in the case, or I suspect that she would have known right away what you were insinuating." Light turned towards the door, as if to leave. "I think that it would be best for us to leave miss Amane alone for this evening -" Light paused briefly. His voice didn't change, but he was positive that L would read what he was about to say as a challenge. "Unless you can immediately recover evidence of your identity as Kira, that is."

L answered almost immediately. "I'll hand it over as soon as possible."

Light's (_L's) _eyes widened visibly, but when he turned around to look at Ryuuzaki, his face was once again an expressionless mask. "If you are capable of doing that, I would be very interested in seeing. There is nothing that the investigation team and I would like better than to have this case to finally come to a close, Light-kun."

Ryuk, meanwhile, was doing his best not to laugh. He was staring at Light and L with an amused fascination that was beginning to drive Light up a wall. While this may have been a game to the Shinigami, Kira considered it what one might call an "extreme misfortune."

L seemed to consider what Light had said. "If you'll just do me the honor of waiting outside, I'd like to talk with Misa alone. We have some important, private things to talk about before I reveal the evidence of our involvement with Kira to you."

Light was becoming steadily more irritated, but he was practiced at keeping his cool. "Light-kun, what you are confessing to is very serious." The body-switched killer approached L, gazing up at him hazily. "It is regrettable, but I am not sure that allowing you to continue your private conversations with miss Amane would be advisable." A hint of superiority crept into Light's voice as he continued his facade. "You are claiming to be a murderer, and leaving here without Light-kun in my sight would be a highly dangerous action to take."

L shrugged in a nonchalant manner, much like the real Light would have. "If you have no business trusting me, than what business do you have trusting Misa? I gave her name as an accomplice, remember? I could be tricking you into leaving the house just so that Misa _or _I could kill you."

Light was beginning to feel as if he were beinging back into a corner. He was absolutely against Ryuk talking to L alone. The Shinigami could be a good actor when he concentrated, but Light could tell that L had already begun to suspect that something wasn't quite right with "Misa," either. Furthermore, what was the guarantee that Ryuk wouldn't suddenly become bored with the whole situation; and reveal everything to Ryuuzaki? Still, there was one thing that both he and L could rely on to save their skins: their switched bodies. If L were to try and make his move to reveal Light as Kira, Ryuuzaki himself would be the one convicted. Light would go free. Still, neither of Light nor L would be permanently contented in each other's bodies. Even if Light when free, it would be in L's body. If Light had had a little less pride, than maybe he would have been okay with framing L as the Kira murderer while he himself was allowed to play the famous detective. But it was not Ryuuzaki that Light wished to glorify. It was himself. That one fact, he knew, was what was now saving L. Light was positive that L had considered this himself, and was simply trying to gather evidence for when they returned to their normal bodies. In this case, Light's only concern became attempting to prevent L from discovering any of Light Yagami's or Misa Amane's connections to Kira.

Finally, Light desired to respond to L's statement. "In that case, I suppose that I have no other choice than to allow you further communication with Amane-san. However, I would like to alert you that I have informed the investigation team that if I die in the near future; it was Light Yagami's doing." He threw in the last statement for effect. Both of them knew very well that neither of them would die by the hands of the other while in each other's bodies.

As Light left the room, Ryuk waved him off happily. "Goodbye, Ryuuzaki-kun! I'll see you later, okay?"

Light gritted his teeth, but waved jerkily. He hoped to God - or to himself - that Ryuk wouldn't crack under the pressure of the world-famous detective.

As soon as L was sure that Light was out of earshot, he would begin the questioning. Both L and Light knew that, if Light was guilty (as Light himself knew that he was), even this brief session of interrogation may have the potential of condemning him.

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A/N: End of Chapter! Yay! R&R, maybe? J Hopefully I'll do better and update sooner in the future.


	6. Chapter 5: To See or Not to See?

A/N: Thanks for everyone who gave reviews for the last chapter despite the fact that it took so long for me to update! Hopefully you'll continue to enjoy! xD

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Chapter 5: To See or Not to See?

L turned to face the girl who was now sitting on Misa's bed. He was beginning to feel quite sure that this wasn't Misa at all. He was a very good judge of character, and could pick up even the slightest variations in character of people whom he knew. If this was so, than Light couldn't be eliminated as a suspect in the Kira case. While the real Misa would have spilled her guts to Light; whom he looked like now; an imposter might not. Then again...there had been some indication that Misa had been the second Kira, and one who did not need a name to commit murders. If she was able to perceive his name, it probably wouldn't be the name "Light Yagami" that she saw.

L began, putting on the routine of his false identity. "Misa, you know that everything I do has a reason..."

'Misa' appeared to think about this, and then nodded. "Of course, Light-kun! You aren't mad at me, are you?"

Ryuuzaki sighed. If this wasn't Misa, they were still doing an overall good job of imitating her. "No, not at all. But you know, I brought Ryuuzaki to your house so that we could make a confession to him-"

Misa looked confused again, although L noted that the expression seemed a bit forced. "That's what you said, Light-kun, but - I still don't understand. We don't have anything to confess, do we?" She grabbed his arm and looked up at him, appearing to be impassioned. "You know that if we did have anything to admit, I'd tell Ryuuzaki everything if you wanted me to!"

L turned towards the door, still maintaining Light's calm voice. "What about our involvement in the Kira case, Misa?"

"Kira case..." The 'girl' appeared to be contemplating this statement for awhile, and then declared, "I don't know anything about the Kira case, Light-kun! But I think I understand that Kira!" She nodded, looking a little bit too happy. "I would give anything to meet him - he has the right idea about criminals. But -" She suddenly appeared serious. "- If Kira tried to hurt my Light, you know I wouldn't like him anymore."

L realized suddenly that he wasn't getting anywhere with Misa - imposter or not. Perhaps it was, as Light had said, time to concentrate more on returning to their original bodies than to any focus on the Kira investigation. Still, the detective made a mental note to keep his eyes peeled on any evidence that would link either Light or Misa to the person that had currently formed a worldwide manhunt around him.

When L came out the door, looking completely blank, Light got up. He smiled slightly. "You don't have any evidence against me, do you?" The L look-alike shrugged nonchalantly after saying this. "Because I'm innocent, so there's no way that you do."

L didn't say anything. Light wondered why Ryuuzaki was still trying to keep up what was obviously a bluff. If the famous detective hadn't had evidence of Light's guilt in the presence of a full investigation team, than it was unlikely that he had suddenly come across something that he had previously missed.

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Ryuk looked out of Misa's window, watching the two disappearing figures. He laughed. It may have been difficult keeping up with this ruse (Lord knows, he and Misa were complete opposites), but it was entertaining. Even more entertaining, perhaps, than it had been to watch Light manipulate the Death Note when he first got it.

Ryuk himself was in no immediate danger, but the Death God knew that Light's false innocence might very well lie in the balance of Ryuk's play-acting. Of course, he also knew that Light would not last long if the boy did not regain his ability to see Death Gods. In this way, Light was at a severe disadvantage against his rival.

But perhaps this situation made the whole thing even more gloriously amusing.

The Shinigami opened Misa's closet, looking at objects briefly and then haphazardly tossing them out. He guessed he would have to put it all back if 'Ryuuzaki' and Light came back, but for the time being he settled on the fact that he had full authority to explore every corner of the room that he was currently confined to.

Suddenly a voice, came from the opposite corner of the room. "Stop messing with my stuff, Ryuk-kun!"

Ryuk glanced at the game controller that he had just pulled out of the closet, not yet bothering to turn around. "Hey, you got video games in here?"

The Death God, receiving no reply, threw the controller back into the closet. "No? Light has lots of games. And I would have asked you to play Mario Kart with me." Ryuk turned around to address the person who was talking to him, to see none other than...himself? Ryuk grinned an inhumanely large grin. "Hello, Misa-chan."

"Ryuk-kun, be serious!"

Ryuk seemed surprised by this demand, and shrugged; moving his way over to bed. He crossed his legs, put his hands behind his head, and opened one eye. "So, Misa. I am curious - has that Ryuuzaki seen you yet?" He was rather unconcerned, to tell the truth.

Misa shook her (Ryuk's) head vigorously. "No way! I would never let him, because I know Light-kun wouldn't want me to!"

Ryuk laughed again. How tenacious of this girl. "You sure are dedicated. It must be hard avoiding him all the time."

"Oh, yes! This morning I woke up ugly - (Ryuk feigned being offended by this) - and when I realized that I was you and I saw a different name over Light-kun's head, I left straight away to come here!" She paused, and then said accusingly; pouting, "And you're getting Light all to yourself!"

The Shinigami cackled at this. "Light and I are getting cozy!" Ryuk suddenly became slightly more serious, and sat up. "Alright. Next time Light comes, I'll tell him it's best if he can see Death Gods." He shrugged. "I told him that before, but Light doesn't listen to anyone but himself." The Shinigami waggled a finger. "All he's gotta do is to make it as if Ryuuzaki never touched the Note in the first place!"

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Light Yagami sat in L's hotel room, thinking. Things were quickly getting more serious than he had imagined. "L couldn't win immediately, but if he were to ever see Rem or Misa -" ...And Light was fully aware that the best way to devise places for the two to hide was to be able to see them himself.

Even so, if they were to get their bodies back to normal, Ryuuzaki would still be able to see Shinigami. Light thought. If he were to somehow be able to allow L ownership of a Death Note, and then give it up; he might be able to make it as if the whole thing had never happened.

That's when Light set his mind to it. This was going to be difficult, but it would be an appropriate test of his intelligence. He had decided to regain his ability to see Shinigami, even if it meant a huge risk later on.

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**A/N: Hope you enjoyed. R&R if it pleases you. xD Thanks for reading:)**


	7. Chapter 6: An Agreement of Secrecy

**A/N: We'll pretend that it hasn't been a year since I last updated, if it's okay with you all. No seriously, I'm really sorry for taking so long to update. When I lose interest, even for a brief amount of time, it's just like my creative juices die.**

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**Chapter Six: An Agreement of Secrecy**

Light placed his (L's) hands on either side of the smooth, softbound notebook. His expression didn't change, even as the figure of a tall, black-feathered death god came into view. In situations like this, normally, the slightest glint may have appeared in his eye. Or perhaps he may even have let out a sinister laugh, proclaiming his victory out loud.

But not this time. This time was different, and this time his far too dangerous for there to be anything to celebrate. The gloating would surely come later, but for now Light found very little to be happy about.

_Now,_ He thought, _Ryuuzaki will be able to see Death Gods even when we return to our original bodies. And since he was unable to see them before, he'll know that I was responsible for the change._ He cursed inwardly. As always, he had a plan (He would never had done anything so risky without carefully executing a solution), but even so, the whole thing was far much more trouble than it was worth.

Hunched over in a perfectly flawless imitation of Ryuuzaki's default stance, Light consulted the three creatures that stood before him now in the forest. He had chosen the secluded spot in order to make sure beyond almost all doubt that so-called "world famous" detective L didn't come snooping around discovering any of Light's deadly secrets.

"I did well, didn't I Ryuuzaki-kun?!" Came the excited squeal from the blonde-haired girl, who was shifting her wait back and forth and grinning in an unnaturally wide manner. She reached her hands out greedily. "Where is it, where is it? Come on, Ryuuzaki! You promised! I don't work for nothin'!"

Looking around to make sure no one else was watching the scene, Kira pulled out a bright red apple from his pants pocket and tossed it to the 'girl,' who caught it in midair and immediately preoccupied 'herself' with the fruit. Ryuk was certainly easily distracted when it came to apples. Light laughed to himself, realizing how much harder it would have been to convince Ryuk to obedience had he not discovered the delights of the pleasantly 'juicy' Earth fruit.

The dark-eyed youth turned slightly on his heel, now turning his attention to the doppelganger of the Death God; who, on a normal basis, haunted his shadow regularly. "Misa." He said simply.

The Ryuk look-alike perked up from 'his' previous state, which had essentially been a look of sulky discontent. "Light-kun? What is it? You know that Misa will do anything for –"

Light sharply cut off the bright-uttered sentence. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said in a quiet and dangerous voice. "My name is Ryuuzaki. And outside of this forest, you are Ryuk." He smirked slightly and looked upwards, hoping that even Misa wasn't too thick to get the message. He reasoned that the most dangerous part of the plan that he was setting into action was Misa. Despite her willingness to go to great lengths for him, Light had always felt that she needed to be closely monitered in everythinig that she said and did. Unlike Light himself, Misa wasn't painfully careful and often did things on her own whims.

"Huh?" Misa began to whine, "But you're…" She looked down at him again, and then it finally seemed to dawn on her. "Ryuuzaki-kun! What does Ryuuzaki want me to do for him?" Without waiting for him to answer the question, she continued. "Oh, it's been horrible! I haven't been able to spend any time with my Light because of this awful body!" The pouty expression on Ryuk's face mirrored the one so often made by Misa, which Kira may have found amusing had he been in any mood to laugh.

Light looked at the ground, his expression still unchanging. "I am disappointed to hear that. However, for now you must understand that a façade is necessary to keep the both of us safe. Stay away from the real Ryuuzaki," he whispered ominously. "If he sees you or Rem, everything will be compromised, including Kira's goals." A small smirk crossed his lips as he grew silent and then slowly swiveled on his heels for a third time.

The spongy, white Death God had kept silent the entire time. However, she couldn't hide the expression of utter distaste she had for the entire situation. Light had caught on to, and anticipated, this problem almost immediately. "I know you have no pleasant feelings for me, Rem," he began, "But might I remind you of what will happen if L were to find out Kira's true identity. It would be a short step from discovering who his accomplice was…" He trailed off, looking towards Misa in a way in which there could be no mistake of who he was referencing. "I'm sure it would give you pleasure to see the great Kira brought to his knees, but would it be worth Misa's execution or imprisonment?" Light could tell by the Death God's silence that she would do her best to avoid being seen, even if it meant sacrificing her dignity to save Misa.

Earlier on, Light had discussed with Ryuk the results of the soul switching curse that the Death God King had placed on them.

_Ryuk had laughed loudly, still highly amused by the entertainment and chaos that all of this was causing. "But I gotta warn you, Light! Death Gods can't die by the hands of mortals!" He had shrugged, grinning at Kira with wide eyes. "That means if this body gets killed while I'm in it-" He gestured to himself. "I'll float safely back to mine, while that girl will fly on her merry way to hell!" He had cackled in sadistic amusement at the thought._

As it turned out from where they were now, this particular aspect of the curse couldn't have been any more perfect for convincing a human-loyal Death God like Rem to prevent any compromising of the Light's plans.

Kira turned back to Ryuk and leaned forward, lowering his voice so that only he could hear. "During our next meeting, I expect to discuss with you how to reverse the effects of this curse – until then, lay low. I'm sure the acts of this play won't disappoint you, Ryuk." He chuckled, and then turned around and began digging a hole, placing the Death Note in the same location he had first hidden it in at the point when it had become too much of a problem to deal with. It wouldn't be any different than last time. He reassured himself of this.

As Light turned to exit the forest, he spoke a few ending words to Misa and Rem. "As for you two: It would be best if you were to stay here – anywhere out of sight of Ryuuzaki. I'll be back for this. It's just a matter of time."

And with that, he shuffled away into the trees, musing to himself that he was sure; despite the danger; that everything would be well. He had a plan that would allow them to return to their original roles while still snatching away Ryuuzaki's compromising ability to see Death Gods.  
It wasn't perfect, but the imperfection was worth every second.

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**A/N: Thanks to anyone who still reads/reviews this despite how long it's been!**


	8. Chapter 7: Flying to the Shinigami Realm

**A/N: I actually updated this story twice in the same week! Maybe I'll even be able to finish it! Anyway, thanks to those of you who are still reading this, and to all the new people.**---------------------------------------------

**Chapter 7: Flying to the Shinigami Realm**

These meetings were beginning to become more and more tiresome – with Ryuuzaki always watching over Light's back and with suspicion brought to him any time that he decided to meet in private with Ryuuk, the Kira killer was finding increasingly difficult to maintain his innocence while still working on the problem of the body curse.

Light Yagami stood in Misa Amane's bedroom once again, as Ryuk twirled and hopped around in a way that was both distracting and so very characteristic to him. Light sat down on the bed and leaned against the wall before turning his gaze back on Ryuk. "Have you seen anything strange in this house that I should know about, before we discuss how to reverse the effects of the spirit switching?" He leaned forward. It wouldn't be unlike Ryuuzaki to install security cameras inside of Misa's house on his own, even in a situation like this where both of them were in danger. Something told him that it wouldn't be a problem in this case, but he wanted to be sure there was absolutely nothing for him to worry about other than the problem that was already the most blaringly obvious.

Ryuk stopped his distracted movements, shoving Misa's left arm behind her head much farther than it should probably have gone. He grinned characteristically, and let out a wheezing laugh. "None that I've seen, 'Ryuuzaki-kun,' but then again-" He walked over to the wall and placed his hands on the surface. "I'm not exactly as transparent as I was before, eyuh?"

Light sighed. Ryuk had a point. But…He thought, _If Ryuuzaki was planning on spying on Misa, it would be exceedingly difficult for him to do so in the guise of myself. The Investigation team doesn't trust me as much as they trust L. There's little chance they would agree to place the cameras without consulting Ryuuzaki first, especially because Light is under suspicion._ The killer smirked in a way very unlike any expression of L's. There were no security cameras in this house, and if there ever were, it wouldn't be until both of them were back in their original bodies.

Satisfied, Light leaned back and closed his eyes, speaking to Ryuk in a calm and steady tone. "Ryuk, I think it's about time you told me everything you know about Rule 79."

The Death God turned Misa's head completely sideways, a look of mixed confusion and disregard on his face. "Yeah, Light – I don't know if you remember, but didn't I tell you everything about it already?"

The youth's eyes narrowed in annoyance. Hadn't he just recently discussed with Ryuk in the forest about this? "No, Ryuk – not the properties of Rule 79. I want to know how to reverse the effects of the punishment. Don't act like you don't know what I was talking about." He had a feeling that the Shinigami was playing dumb with him or behaving naively for his own amusement, and it annoyed Light to no end.

"Heh heh, Light is too smart for me," Ryuk said, righting himself and then standing in front of the teen with his arms dangling by his sides, the grin still plastered on his face. "I wouldn't have told you if you didn't mention it, you know – lucky I'll tell you at all, Light! But you're making this interesting, so you've got yourself a deal, eh heh!" With that, the Shinigami began to fiddle with Misa's belongings again, talking to Yagami as he did so. "Since it's the Shinigami King who put the curse on us, it's the Shinigami King who'll have to take it off." He waved a finger in the air. "You'd think it would have to be more complicated than that, but it's really the extent of it – ah, but…" He laughed again, despite the knowledge that he himself was also wrapped up in these events. "This is personal rule of the King's, so guess what?" He chuckled and waited to see if Light would say anything. When the boy didn't speak, he continued. "To fix up your problem here, ya gotta meet with him in person, Light!"

Ryuuzaki's eyes widened as a result of Light's surprise. Meet with the Shinigami King? How many mortals got to do that? And under how many different circumstances? This was becoming a lot more complicated than he had at first thought, and now it was approaching the point of being a bit problematic. Meeting with the Shinigami King sounded like an almost impossible task, even for Light – and even if he was able to do so, how would he convince the offended Death God to revoke the punishment? Kira stared out of L's eyes with a glazed, "deep-in-thought" expression that only the famous detective seemed to be able to demonstrate.

Ryuk approached Light as he was thinking and looked at him curiously. "Eh? Light, you okay?" He leaned in. "You thinking, huh? You do that a lot, Light – you're always thinking. So what are you going to do, anyway? You know humans can't meet with the Shinigami King under most circumstances-"

"Ryuk…" He interrupted quietly. "Wouldn't it be easier for a Death God to meet with the Shinigami King than it would be for a human?" He looked up at Misa's lookalike, waiting for an answer.

"Huh?" Ryuk scratched the back of his head, still staring at Light with a wide eyed expression. "Well, sure, yeah – I mean, a Shinigami lives up there and a human can't exactly fly away whenever he wants to –" Ryuk laughed again, apparently amused by the thought of a human flying up into the Shinigami realm. He pointed at Light, still chuckling. "I'd love to see if you could pull that one off, Light – your plans are getting crazier by the minute. Heh, I couldn't regret being your spectator with the way your brain thinks!" He pointed to his own head as a demonstration.

Light felt another twinge of annoyance at the thought that Ryuk had believed that he was planning on flying to the Shinigami realm, but he didn't show it. Instead, he continued. "Actually, Ryuk, I was suggesting that it may be easier for Rem and Misa to handle the negotiations." A lot of inner turmoil had finally led Light to this decision, most of which had come from Misa's infuriating ability to be essentially clueless when it came to anything important or secretive. But in this case, it was the easiest and fastest solution that the Kira killer could come up with that would still allow him to save his own skin once they were returned to their original bodies.

Ryuk's surprise at the suggestion was immediately evident, but his smile grew even more as he thought of it. "Light, you're a risk taker! Leaving something important like this in the hands of Rem and Miss Amane…you sure that's a good idea? Heh heh!" The Shinigami grasped onto Light's arm in mock excitement. "Oh, Light-kun! Misa-Misa is _glad_ that you're staying here with me! Misa-Misa would _never_ allow her Light to do something dangerous like visit that _nasty_ old Shinigami King!"

Light didn't push him away, but his voice grew slightly more intolerant. Through his imitation of Misa, Ryuk was reminding Light of the flawed behavior that seemed inherent in the girl. "I assure you, you won't be disappointed." His tone of voice was masked and unreadable, just as his face was. "Ryuk, you're forgetting the level of dedication that Miss Amane has for me. She would handle the negotiations in any way I told her to. I'm sure of this. And…" He smirked, not meeting Ryuk's eyes. "Rem will be there, and as a Death God I'm sure she's had to deal with the Shinigami King before. She would never allow Misa to make a fatal error with her level of dedication."

Ryuk withdrew from Light, seeming to consider what he had said. He pulled a chair over to the bed and sat down on hit, resting his head in his hand and placing his elbow on his knee. "Uh, Light…makes sense to me, but why not just have Rem do it? That way you'd have less screw-up to worry about, wouldn't ya?"

Light shook his head. "I thought of that, Ryuk. But then I realized it was impossible. Rem wasn't involved at all in the 'switch of the flesh.' I don't know much about that Shinigami King, but doesn't it seem doubtful he'd take it well if someone uninvolved in the rule violation were to try and negotiate for the law breakers?" He slowly stood up from the bed and opened the door as he had during his last meeting. "I'll be in contact with them later. Until then, enjoy yourself, Ryuk."

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**A/N: Thanks to everyone again for their support/reviews/reads. It is much appreciated, despite my lack of dependability when it comes to story updates!**


	9. Chapter 8: An Interesting Proposition

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reading/reviewing this! It gives me morale to keep writing. I repeat myself at the beginning of every chapter. :)**

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**Chapter 8: An Interesting Proposition**

As it turned out, the whole body-switching fiasco that had been the main punishment of Rule 79 had become the least of Light Yagami's worries.

He had told Misa and Rem exactly what they were to do according to negotiations, trusting Rem's instincts as a Shinigami that everything would be done correctly, and according to plan. The last thing that he would have to deal with, unfortunately, was also the most challenging. He had thought over a long while how Re-acquisition of the Death Note was going to go – that is, his own ability to see Death Gods and still own and retain memories of the Note. In this way, he'd have to somehow revoke the ability of L's eyes to see the Shinigami.

When Light had transferred to L's body, he had remembered everything about the Death Note even though Ryuuzaki had never touched it; but he had not been able to see Shinigami at first. He assumed, with some trepidation, that upon return to each other's bodies, L would then have the ability to see Death Gods. This was a problem that the Kira killer simply could not let occur.  
Light took out a piece of paper from his notebook. This was the part of the plan that he hadn't yet figured out. He knew that writing himself a note was really the only way to do this flawlessly, but placing the note in a place that Ryuuzaki (or anyone else) wouldn't discover it was going to be the more difficult part.  
The youth tapped the pen to his lip and looked down at the paper blankly. What kind of note would he be able to leave for himself that wouldn't be discovered, and that his future self would easily interpret the meaning of?

It would be a problem, indeed. Since Ryuuzaki and Light were, for the time being, pretending to be each other; they were staying in each other's respective houses. Because of that, Light was much more limited as to where he could place the note to himself.

"Light!" Came a voice from behind him. The teen cringed and put down his pen before turning around slowly in his chair. "Yes, Ryuk?"

"You've been sitting there talking to yourself for awhile now – it's kinda boring, Light." He shrugged. "I mean, ya must be planning something really good if it's taking you this long, but…I gotta know what it is! You gonna let me on this?" He leaned in closer and looked expectantly at the L doppelganger, apparently believing that there was no question in his right to be told exactly what was going on.  
Light barely turned at all in his chair. He looked at Ryuk out of one dark-rimmed eye and sighed, putting his head down slightly. "You won't be disappointed, Ryuk. I can guarantee that. But if I revealed the plan to you now, it wouldn't be a surprise once it happened, would it?" He turned back around in his chair, not meeting Ryuk's eyes. "And I know how much you like surprises." He wished the Shinigami would leave him alone. It really did get tiresome, being watched and questioned on a regular basis.

The Death God's expression didn't change, but he backed up and put his arms behind his head, his voice full of mock-offense. "Gee, Light, you're really a stickler for your mysteries. But I gotta admit you're right about surprises." He wheeze-laughed again. "Every time you come up with a new one, it's one more reason _not_ to write your name in my note! Heh heh heh!"  
However, Light was no longer concentrating on what the rogue Death God was talking about. He had figured out a plan, and it was so simple that he couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out in the first place. However, it did rely on the timing of the negotiations between Misa, Rem, and the Shinigami King.

Kira swiveled around to look at Ryuk again, hands clasped firmly in front of his face in an almost brooding position. "How long will it take for the affects of the curse to wear off once the negotiations have been completed?" If his suspicions were correct, this plan was going to be a lot easier than he had initially believed.

Ryuk stood there for a few seconds before apparently deciding that he didn't mind answering. "Should take about a day, from what I've heard. I would've checked in the Note, but Miss Amane has mine right now." He fidgeted and walked over to the window. "I'm not entirely comfortable with that, Light."

"Don't worry, Misa and Rem have everything under control. You'll be writing human's names down in the Death Note again in no time, Ryuk." Light smirked to himself. The timing for the negotiations was perfect. If they weren't to switch back to their own bodies until the next morning, Kira would have plenty of time to inform the people involved in his plan of exactly what they would need to do for him to successfully carry it out. He hadn't heard from Ryuuzaki lately, however, and this worried him. What was he planning? It was obvious from the beginning that he had wanted to use this situation to worm out details of Light having possibly been associated with Kira, but…  
The teen shook these thoughts away. There was no way that L was still planning anything even after suspicion had been lifted from him by Ryuk's flawless play acting. Still, a certain amount of caution was both necessary and intelligent. He spoke up again. "Ryuk, there is something I need you to do in order for his plan to operate smoothly – and to assure you that you really will be getting your Note back." Light had thrown the last part in to assure that Ryuk would be tied in to accepting his terms.

"Eh?" The Death God seemed curious. "What do I have to do? Is it gonna be any fun?"  
Light chuckled in an almost ominous way, still not meeting the Shinigami's eyes. "Oh, I'm sure there'll be some entertainment in it for you, Ryuk. It involves a little more acting on your part."  
"Eh heh, you know can't resist going through with your plans, Light!" He drew out the word 'Light' again and squealed in a decidedly Misa-like manner. "Misa-Misa has done this so many times that she's starting to get the hand of it!" He giggled. "Light-kun is silly if he thinks he has anything to worry about!"

"Very good, Ryuk." There was a hint of amusement in the detective's eyes as Kira thought of how fortunate it was that the Shinigami wasn't half-bad at impressions. He must have learned a lot from the time that he and Light had spent with Misa. He leaned forward. "Now, down to business. Ryuk, I need to you to spend most of the remaining day with Ryuuzaki. I don't want you to let him out of your sight unless you believe it would be in-character for you to do so. I need him distracted during the planning period, and I need him to keep away from Misa's house, and from the forest. Ryuuzaki will have to keep up the act of being me, especially because I'm sure he still expects to get some information out of Misa." Light continued, watching Ryuk's expression as he unraveled part of his plan. "It wouldn't be unlikely for Misa to want to spend the day with Light, so you providing a distraction like that won't seem out of character. Can you do that?"

Ryuk's eyes widened, and he began to laugh. "You sure know how to bamboozle someone! But I don't know if I want to…" He scratched his chin in mock-thought. It was obvious to Light that the Shinigami had already made his decision. "Ah, but alright! Seeing the rest of this plan make it all worth it! Oh, but – Light, if he wants to get cozy, don't blame me if this charade falls through the roof!"

Light's eyes narrowed. He hoped beyond all hope that what Ryuk was saying wouldn't come to the surface, and that this wasn't the sort of tactic that the famous detective would use.

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**A/N: **Sorry about it being boring. I've decided to include Ryuk's day with L in the next chapter against my original plans and against my better judgement.


End file.
